The Vickers Vildebeest and the similar Vickers Vincent are single-engined British

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

s designed and built by

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...

and used as

light bomber A light bomber is a relatively small and fast type of military bomber aircraft that was primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance. The earliest light bombers were intended to dr ...

torpedo bomber A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the World War I, First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carryin ...

s and in army cooperation roles. First flown in 1928, they remained in service at the start of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, with the last Vildebeests flying against Japanese forces over

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

and

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

in 1942.

Design and development

Vildebeest

Designed against Air Ministry Specification 24/25 for the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

(RAF), for a land-based torpedo bomber to replace the Hawker Horsley, the prototype Vildebeest, an all-metal fuselage aircraft with single-bay unstaggered fabric-covered wings and tail, was first flown in April

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

as the Vickers Type 132, powered by a

Bristol Jupiter The Bristol Jupiter is a British nine-cylinder single-row piston radial engine that was built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Originally designed late in World War I and known as the Cosmos Jupiter, a lengthy series of upgrades and developme ...

VIII

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...

.Mason 1994, p. 200. After initial evaluation, the Vildebeest was shortlisted for comparison with the Blackburn Beagle and Handley Page Hare. As the Jupiter VIII was prone to vibration, a second prototype, the Vickers Type 204Jarrett ''

Aeroplane Monthly ''Aeroplane'' (formerly ''Aeroplane Monthly'') is a British magazine devoted to aviation, with a focus on aviation history and preservation. __TOC__ ''Aeroplane Monthly'' Issue 1 of ''Aeroplane Monthly'' was published in May 1973 at a cov ...

'' February 1995, p. 18. was fitted with an Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIA engine and after further testing, the Vickers design was confirmed as the winner of the contestMason 1994, pp. 200–201. but engine problems persisted until the type was tested with a new version of the Jupiter, which later became known as the

Bristol Pegasus The Bristol Pegasus is a British nine-cylinder, single-row, air-cooled radial engine, radial aircraft engine, aero engine. Designed by Roy Fedden of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, it was used to power both civil and military aircraft of the 1 ...

.Mason 1994, p. 201. An initial production order was placed in 1931 for nine aircraft, with the first production aircraft flying in September 1932. Further production ensued, with an improved version fitted with a 635 hp (474 kW) Pegasus IIM3 entering service but after only 30 examples had been produced the Air Ministry requested a modification ( Specification 15/34) which added a third crew position, thus creating the Vildebeest Mk III, of which 150 examples being built for the RAF. The Mark IV introduced the much more powerful 825 hp (615 kW) Bristol Perseus

sleeve valve The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve valve engines saw use in a number of pre–World War II luxury cars and in the United States in the Willys-Knight car and light tru ...

enclosed in a

NACA cowling The NACA cowling is a type of aerodynamic Aircraft fairing, fairing used to streamliner, streamline radial engines installed on airplanes. It was developed by Fred Weick of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1927. It was a ...

which significantly improved performance, increasing maximum speed to 156 mph (251 km/h) and rate of climb to 840 ft/min (4.3 m/s).Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 285. In this version, the Perseus had overheating problems and was deemed unsuitable for tropical serviceJarrett ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 1995, pp. 19–20. with production limited to 18 aircraft, all of which served with the home based squadrons.Mason 1994, p. 202.

Vincent

In 1931, Vickers designed as a private venture a General Purpose version of the Vildebeest to replace the RAF's

Westland Wapiti The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general-purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service. First flying in 1927, the Wa ...

s and Fairey IIIFs, supporting the Army in the Middle East. Successful trials were conducted in the Middle East,

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

and East Africa with a converted Vildebeest I in the General Purpose role during 1932–1933, and Specification 16/34 was drawn up based on the three man Vildebeest, which was named the Vickers Vincent: differences from the Vildebeest were minimal (the first production Vincent was, converted from a Vildebeest MkII), principally removal of torpedo equipment, provision for an auxiliary fuel tank, message-pick-up and pyrotechnic signalling gear. Powered by a 660 hp (490 kW) Bristol Pegasus IIM3Mason 1994, pp. 256–257. the Vincent was unveiled to the general public for the first time at the 1935 RAF flying display at Hendon, but deliveries had already been made to No. 8 Squadron at Aden in late 1934. Between 1934 and 1936, 197 Vincents were built for or converted from Vildebeests for the RAF.Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 289.

Operational history

United Kingdom

The Vildebeest was purchased in moderately large numbers by the

from 1931 and used as a torpedo bomber. It entered service with No. 100 Squadron at RAF Donibristle in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

in October 1932, replacing the Hawker Horsley.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' April 1995, p. 37. Four frontline torpedo-bomber squadrons were equipped with the Vildebeest, two at

(100 Squadron, which moved from the United Kingdom in 1933 and 36 Squadron, which replaced its Horsleys in 1935), and two more in the United Kingdom.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' April 1995, p. 42. The Vincent entered service with No. 84 Squadron RAF at Shaibah,

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

in December 1934, re-equipping General Purpose squadrons throughout the Middle East and Africa.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' March 1995, p. 20. By 1937, it equipped six squadrons in Iraq,

Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

, and

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' March 1995, p. 22. At the outbreak of the Second World War, 101 Vildebeests were still in service with the RAF. The two British-based squadrons flew coastal patrol and

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

escort missions until 1940 when their Vildebeests were replaced by the

Bristol Beaufort The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) is a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Bristol Blenheim, Blenheim li ...

.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' April 1995, p. 38. The two Singapore-based squadrons were still waiting for their Beauforts when Japan invaded Malaya in December 1941 and the obsolete biplanes had to be deployed against the Japanese attackers, making an abortive torpedo attack on a Japanese cruiser off

Kota Bharu Kota Bharu ( Kelantanese: ''Koto Baghu''), colloquially referred to as KB, is a town in Malaysia that serves as the state capital and royal seat of Kelantan. It is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia and lies near the mout ...

on 8 December.Richards and Saunders 1954, p. 20. The Vildebeests continued to attack the Japanese as their forces advanced down Malaya, sustaining heavy losses from Japanese fighters, particularly when no fighter cover could be provided. On 26 January 1942, the Japanese landed at Endau, 250 miles from Singapore, and 12 Vildebeests of 100 and 36 Squadrons were sent to attack the landings. Despite an escort of

Brewster Buffalo The Brewster F2A Buffalo is an American fighter aircraft which saw service early in World War II. Designed and built by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation, it was one of the first U.S. monoplanes with an arrestor hook and other modification ...

and

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

fighters, five Vildebeests were lost. The attack was repeated later that day by eight Vildebeests of 36 Squadron and three

Fairey Albacore The Fairey Albacore is a single-engine biplane torpedo bomber designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Fairey Aviation. It was primarily operated by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) during the Second World War. The Albacor ...

s, resulting in six more Vildebeests and two Albacores being shot down.Richards and Saunders 1954, p. 37. Vickers Vildebeest ExCC

The surviving Vildebeests were withdrawn to

on 31 January and attacked another Japanese landing force off

Rembang Rembang Regency () is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency () on the extreme northeast coast of Central Java Province, on the island of Java (bordering on the Java Sea) in Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 1,036.70 km2 on Java, and it had ...

, claiming eight ships sunk but sustaining further losses. The final two Vildebeests of 36 Squadron attempted to escape to

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

on 6 March but were lost over

Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...

. The last Vildebeests in RAF service, operated by 273 Squadron at

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

were retired in March 1942.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' April 1995, pp. 38–39. While the Vincent had started to be replaced by more modern aircraft such as the

Vickers Wellesley The Vickers Wellesley was a medium bomber that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands near Weybridge, Surrey. It was one of two aircraft to be named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of W ...

and

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...

bombers, 84 remained in service with the RAF on the outbreak of the Second World War. Vincents were used for bombing missions against Italian forces in the East African Campaign and for coastal patrols from Aden, one attacking the Italian submarine ''Galileo Galilei''. Other Vincents bombed Iraqi forces during the

Anglo-Iraqi War The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allies of World War II, Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq, then ruled by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état with assista ...

of 1941.Mason 1994, p. 257. The last frontline Vincents retired in January 1943, with the type continuing in second line service (which included pesticide spraying against

locust Locusts (derived from the Latin ''locusta'', locust or lobster) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they b ...

s in Iran) until 1944.

Spain

The Vildebeest was ordered by the Spanish Republic in 1932 and licence production of 25 Vildebeest for the

Spanish Republican Navy The Spanish Republican Navy was the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939. History In the same manner as the other two branches of the Spanish Republi ...

was undertaken in Spain by CASA most receiving the

Hispano-Suiza Hispano-Suiza () is a Spanish automotive company. It was founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft engines, trucks and weapons. ...

HS 600 inline engine, though some other engines were also used. Around 20 survived to fight with the

Spanish Republican Air Force The Spanish Republican Air Force was the air arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939. Initially divided into two branches: Military Aeronautics () and Naval Aeron ...

on the Republican side of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, some equipped with floats. A Vildebeest was the first victim of

Francoist Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...

ace Joaquin Garcia-Morato.

New Zealand

12 Vildebeests were purchased by the

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial warfare, aerial military service, service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Perm ...

in 1935 for coastal defence, with a further 27 acquired from RAF stocks in 1940–41. In addition, 60 or 62 of these machines, (depending on source), were passed on to the RNZAF. New Zealand Vildebeests were also used for photo mapping. A few were used for

maritime patrol Maritime patrol or maritime reconnaissance is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to active ...

s against German surface raiders, and Japanese submarines, (a handful were based in

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

in December 1941), but the main wartime role of the New Zealand aircraft was as particularly unwieldy pilot trainers, until replaced by

North American Harvard The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft, which was used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Ro ...

s in 1942.

Variants

;Type 132 :Prototype built at Weybridge with a Jupiter VII engine. ;Type 192 :Prototype modified as a Series II with a Jupiter XF engine. ;Type 194 :Prototype modified as a Series III with a Jupiter XIF engine. ;Type 204 :Second private venture prototype as Series IV later to Air Ministry ;Type 209 :Prototype modified as a Series V with a Jupiter XIF engine. ;Type 214 :Prototype modified as a Series VI with a Jupiter XFBM engine. ;Type 216 :Prototype Series VII modified with an Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr engine and flown with floats. ;Type 217 :Second prototype to have been modified to Series VII but not converted. ;Vildebeest Mark I :Type 244 – Initial production version, a two-seat torpedo-bomber powered by a 600 hp (448 kW) Bristol Pegasus IM3 engine.Jarrett ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 2005, p. 19. 22 built for the RAF between 1932 and 1933.Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 516–517. ;Vildebeest Mark II :Type 258 – Variant with more powerful (635 hp (474 kW)) Pegasus IIM3 engine. 30 built for RAF and delivered 1933.Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 517. ;Vildebeest Mark III :Type 267 – Three seat torpedo-bomber. 150 built for RAF, delivered 1935–36. 15 ex-RAF aircraft (including one converted Mark II) diverted to RNZAF later. :Type 277 – Twelve aircraft with

folding wing A folding wing is a wing configuration design feature of aircraft to save space and is typical of carrier-based aircraft that operate from the limited deck space of aircraft carriers. The folding allows the aircraft to occupy less space in a co ...

s and the ability to carry

drop tank In aviation, a drop tank (external tank, wing tank or belly tank) is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often capable of being jettisoned. External tanks are commonplace on modern ...

s for

RNZAF The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, becoming an in ...

delivered in 1935. ;Vildebeest Mark IV :Type 286 – Two seat version powered by 825 hp (615 kW) Bristol Perseus engine. Eighteen built for RAF, 12 of which were sold to New Zealand. ;Type 245 Vildebeest :Series IX, Torpedo bomber for

Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy, officially the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation ...

, powered by 600 hp (448 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12L water cooled V-12 engine. First prototype Vildebeest modified to this standard and flew in this form in June 1930, with 26 licence built in addition to the prototype.Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 279, 517–518. ;Type 263 :One Vildebest I modified with a Pegasus 1M3 engine. ;Vincent :Type 266 – Three-seat General Purpose version for RAF. Pegasus IIIM3 engine.Jarrett ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 2005, pp. 20–21. 197 built new or converted.

Operators

; * Royal Iraqi Air Force – six Vickers Vincents donated in 1940. Due to their poor condition, only five were ever operated. **No. 2 Squadron RIrAF ; *

** No. 1 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 2 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 3 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 4 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 5 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 6 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 7 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 8 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 22 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 30 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 42 Squadron RNZAF ; *

; *

** No. 5 Squadron RAF – Vincent **

No. 7 Squadron RAF No. 7 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force which operates the Boeing Chinook (UK variants), Boeing Chinook HC6 from RAF Odiham, Hampshire. It is part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing. History Formation and early years (1914� ...

– Vildebeests used for trials ** No. 8 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 22 Squadron RAF – Vildebeest ** No. 27 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 28 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 31 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 36 Squadron RAF – Vildebeest ** No. 42 Squadron RAF – Vildebeest ** No. 45 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 47 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 55 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 84 Squadron RAF – Vincent. Vildebeests used for tropical trials ** No. 100 Squadron RAF – Vildebeest ** No. 207 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 223 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 244 Squadron RAF – Vincent ** No. 273 Squadron RAF – Vildebeest ** No. 1430 Flight RAF

Surviving aircraft

A Vildebeest/Vincent composite airframe is being restored by the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram Aerodrome in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

, from the substantially complete remains of Vildebeest Mark III NZ102, incorporating parts from Vildebeest NZ105 and Vincents NZ355 and 357. A Vincent (NZ311) has nearly completed restoration to static display by the Subritzky family near

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand. A Spanish Vildebeest is rumoured to have survived.

Specifications (Vildebeest III)

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Andrews, C. F. and E. B. Morgan. ''Vickers Aircraft since 1908.'' London: Putnam, 1988. . * * Jarrett, Philip. "By Day and By Night: Vildebeest and Vincent". ''Aeroplane Monthly'' Volume 23, No. 2, Issue 262, February 1995, pp. 16–22. . * * * * * Mason, Francis K. ''The British Bomber since 1914.'' London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. . * Mondey, David. ''Hamlyn Concise Guide to the British Aircraft of World War II''. Chancellor, 1982. * "No. 100 Squadron"
''Flight,'' 28 October 1955, pp. 673–676, 678.
* Richards, Denis and Hilary St. G. Saunders. ''Royal Air Force 1939–1945: Volume II The Fight Avails.'' London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1954. * * Thetford, Owen. "By Day and By Night: Vincents in Service". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', Volume 23, No. 3, Issue 263, March 1995, pp. 18–22. . * Thetford, Owen. "By Day and By Night: Vildebeests in Service". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', Volume 23, No. 4, Issue 264, April 1995, pp. 36–42. .

External links

*
New Zealand Military Aircraft Serial Numbers Vickers Vildebeest Mk III,IV
{{Vickers aircraft 1920s British bomber aircraft Vildebeest Single-engined tractor aircraft Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1928 Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear Single-engined piston aircraft